Fifty Years in the Northwest is a public-domain classic of travel and exploration by William H. C. (William Henry Carman) Folsom.
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GOING WEST. 1 Lakes Huron and Michigan 3 Chicago and Milwaukee 5 On Foot to Galena 6 The Northwestern Territory 7 Arrival at Dubuque 7 Reminiscences of Dubuque 8 Arrival at Prairie du Chien 9 Early History of Prairie du Chien 9 Ancient Document 10 Forts Shelby--McKay--Crawford 11 First Commissioners at Prairie du Chien 11 Organization of Crawford County 12 Indian Troubles 12 Running the Gauntlet 13 Fort Crawford Robbed 13 Early Justice 14 A Southward Journey 15 New Orleans, Vicksburg 15 Return to Prairie du Chien 16 Privations 16 A Perilous Journey 17 Return to Maine--Mountains of New Hampshire 17 Marriage 18 Prairie du Chien in 1837 18 American Residents 19
BIOGRAPHIES. James Duane Doty 19 James H. Lockwood 20 Indian Troubles 21 John S. Lockwood 22 Samuel Gilbert 23 Michael Brisbois 23 Pierre La Point 24 Joseph Rolette 24 Hercules Dousman 24 Rev. David Lowry 25 Chief Justice Charles Dunn 25 Rev. Alfred Brunson 26 Ira Brunson 27 John H. Folsom 28 Ezekiel Tainter 28 Judge Wyram Knowlton 29 Robert Lester 29 Thomas Pendleton Burnett 30 General Henry Dodge 30 General George W. Jones 31 S. G. and S. L. Tainter, John Thomas 31
STILLWATER AND ST. CROIX COUNTY.
From Prairie du Chien to Stillwater 32 Stillwater in 1845 33 St. Croix County 33 First Settlement in 1838 34 Dismemberment of St. Croix Valley from Crawford County 34 Judge Irwin's Court in 1840 35 Events in 1840, First Commissioners' Meeting 35 Election Precincts in 1841 36 Early History of Stillwater 37 The First Saw Mill 37 Copy of Agreement of Mill Company 38 Agreement of Land Claims 40 Bateau Voyage up the St. Croix 41 Indian Drunks 42 Skiff Voyage to Prairie du Chien 42 Mail Carrying 43 Claim and Mill at Arcola 43 Stillwater in 1846, Events 44 Overland Trip to Prairie du Chien 44 Return, Adventure 45 A Pioneer Cat 45 Stillwater in 1847 46 Territorial Election 46 Arrest of Nodin and Ne-she-ke-o-ge-ma 46 Visit to Sunrise, Connor's Camp 47 Murder of Henry Rust 47 Funeral, Indignation Meeting 48 First District Court in Stillwater 48 Nodin and Ne-she-ke-o-ge-ma Acquitted 49 Steamer War Eagle and Raft 49 Society Ball in Stillwater 49 Stillwater in 1848 50
BIOGRAPHIES.
Joseph Renshaw Brown 52 Paul Carli 53 Dr. Christopher Carli 53 Lydia Ann Carli 54 Phineas Lawrence 54 Jacob Fisher 55 James S. Anderson 55 Emanuel D. Farmer 56 Col. John Greely 56 Mrs. Hannah Greely 57 Elam Greely 57 Himan Greely 57 Aquilla Greely 58 Elias McKean 58 Calvin F. Leach 58 Socrates Nelson 58 Mrs. Socrates Nelson 59 Edward Blake 59 Walter R Vail 59 John E Mower 60 Martin Mower 61 William Willim 61 Albert Harris 61 Cornelius Lyman 62 David B Loomis 62 William E Cove 63 John Smith 63 John Morgan 63 Anson Northrup 63 Robert Kennedy 64 Harvey Wilson 65 Andrew Jackson Short 65 James D McComb 65 William Rutherford 66 Albion Masterman 66 Joseph N Masterman 66 Mahlon Black 66 Morton S Wilkinson 67 William Stanchfield 67 Thomas Ramsdell 68 Charles Macey 68 Jonathan E McKusick 68 John McKusick 68 William McKusick 69 Noah McKusick 69 Royal McKusick 69 Ivory E McKusick 69 Charles E Leonard 69 Daniel McLean 70 Robert Simpson 70 William H Hooper 70 James H Spencer 71 John T Blackburn 71 Joseph T Blackburn 71 Horace McKinstry 71 Seth M Sawyer 71 Henry Sawyer 72 Alvah D Heaton 72 John McKenzie 72 George McKenzie 72 Henry Kattenberg 72 Julius F Brunswick 73 Henry McLean 73 Hugh Burns 73 Sylvanus Trask 73 Ariel Eldridge 73 Edward White Durant 74 Oliver Parsons 75 Albert Stimson 75 Abraham Van Voorhees 75 Michael E Owens 76 Joseph Bonin 77 Marcel Gagnon 77 Sebastian Marty 77 John Marty 77 Adam Marty 77 Michael McHale 77 George Watson 78 Rev Eleazer A Greenleaf 78 J B Covey 78 John Shaesby 78 John S Proctor 78 Barron Proctor 79 Henry Westing 79 Thomas Dunn 79 Charles J Gardiner 79 Samuel Staples 79 Josiah Staples 80 Joel M Darling 80 Early River Pilots 80 Joe Perro 80 James McPhail 80 John Cormack 81 John Hanford 81 John Leach 81 Stephen B Hanks 81 Samuel S Hanks 81
POLK COUNTY
Description and History 82 Franklin Steele, the First Pioneer 82 His Account of the Settlement 83 The St Croix Falls Lumbering Company 83 Organization and History 83 St Croix River, Origin of Name 84 Treaty and Purchase of 1838 85 History of Polk County 85 County Seat located at St. Croix Falls 86 First Election County Officers 86 First Happenings 87 The Liquor Traffic 87 Melancholy Results 88 Death of Hall and Livingston 88 Indian "Jamboree." 88 Frontier Justice 89 Balsam Lake Murders 89 Execution of an Indian 89 Population of St. Croix Falls in 1848 90 Natural Language 90 Drowning of H. H. Perkins 90 A Quailtown Murder 90 Mineral Permits 91 Marriage under Difficulties 91 An Indian Scare 92 The First Fire Canoe 92 Mill Building 92 More Indian Murders 93 Indian Battle of Stillwater 96 The First Loggers 96 The First Rafting 97 An Indian Payment 98 Indian Dancing and Theft 99 Other Thefts 99 Hard Times 100 Puzzled Indians, "Ugh! Ugh!" 101 Mrs. Worth and Muckatice 101
POLK COUNTY--CONTINUED.
BIOGRAPHIES. Gov. William Holcombe 103 William S. Hungerford 104 Caleb Cushing 104 Judge Henry D. Barron 105 George W. Brownell 107 Col. Robert C. Murphy 108 Edward Worth 109 Mrs. Mary C. Worth 109 Maurice M. Samuels 109 Joseph B. Churchill 110 John McLean 110 Gilman Jewell 110 Elisha Creech 110 James W. McGlothlin 110 Andrew L. Tuttle 110 John Weymouth 111 B. W. Reynolds 111 Augustus Gaylord 111 James D. Reymert 111 William J. Vincent 112 Thompson Brothers 112 William Amery 112 Lewis Barlow 113 Levi W. Stratton 113 Elma M. Blanding 113 Blanding Family 113 Frederick G. Bartlett 114 Michael Field 115 Alden 115 Rev. A. B. Peabody 115 V. M. Babcock 117 Apple River 117 Balsam Lake 117 Beaver 118 Black Brook 118 Clam Falls 119 Daniel F. Smith 119 Clayton 120 Reuben F. Little 120 Clear Lake 122 Pineville 123 Frank M. Nye 123 Eureka 123 Charles Nevers 123 Farmington 124 Harmon Crandall 125 Samuel Wall 125 William Ramsey 125 Hiram R. Nason 126 Joel F. Nason 126 John McAdams 126 Charles Tea 126 Garfield 126 Georgetown 127 A Double Murder 127 George P. Anderson 128 Laketown 128 Lincoln 128 William Wilson 129 Loraine 129 William W. Gallespie 130 Luck 130 William H. Foster 130 Milltown 130 Patrick Lillis 131 Osceola 131 Scenery 132 First Happenings 132 Change of Name 133 Osceola Village 134 Daniel Mears 134 Nelson McCarty 134 William O. Mahony 135 Richard Arnold 135 William Kent, Sr. 135 Robert Kent 135 Andrew Kent 135 William, James, Thomas, and John Kent 136 Samuel Close 136 Ebenezer Ayres 136 Dr. Carmi P. Garlick 137 John S. Godfrey 137 William A. Talboys 137 Charles H. Staples 138 J. W. Peake 138 George Wilson 138 Samuel B. Dresser 138 Frederic A. Dresser 139 Oscar A. Clark 139 Oscar F. Knapp 139 Mrs. Elisabeth B. Hayes 140 Cyrus G. Bradley 140 W. Hale 141 Edgar C. Treadwell 141 St. Croix Falls 141 St. Croix Falls Village 141 West Sweden 142 Sterling 142 Dr. Samuel Deneen 143 William W. Trimmer 143 Arnold Densmore 143
ST. CROIX COUNTY.
Organization, 1840 144 Division, 1848 144 County Seat Located at Buena Vista 145 First Election 145 Division of the County, 1853 146 Present Limits 146 General Description 146 Monument Rock 147 Towns and Date of Organization 148 St. Croix County Agricultural Society 148 Pomona Grange 148 Agricultural Statistics 148 Manufactures 149 St. Croix Poor Farm 149 First Tax Roll of County, 1848 149 Hudson City 152 Original Claimants 153 First Survey, etc. 153 First Deed Recorded 154 City Government 155 Mayors of the City 155 City Schools 155 Military Institute 156 Mills and Manufactories 156 Banks 156 Oliver Wendell Holmes Hospital 157 Water Works 158 Hotels, the Great Fire, 1866 158 Social and Benevolent Organizations 159
BIOGRAPHIES. Louis Massey 159 Peter Bouchea 160 William Steets 160 Capt. John B. Page 160 Dr. Philip Aldrich 160 The Nobles Family 161 James Purinton 161 Ammah Andrews 162 James Walstow 162 James Sanders 162 J. W. Stone 162 Joseph Bowron 163 Moses Perin 163 John O. Henning 163 Moses S. Gibson 164 Col. James Hughes 164 Daniel Anderson 165 Alfred Day 165 Dr. Otis Hoyt 165 S. S. N. Fuller 166 Miles H. Van Meter 166 Philip B. Jewell 166 John Tobin 166 Horace A. Taylor 167 Jeremiah Whaley 167 Simon Hunt 167 John S. Moffatt 167 James H. Childs 168 William Dwelley 168 James M. Fulton 168 Marcus A. Fulton 168 David C. Fulton 168 N. S. Holden 168 William H. Semmes 169 Sterling Jones 169 D. R. Bailey 169 Henry C. Baker 169 Mert Herrick 169 D. A. Baldwin 170 John Comstock 170 Lucius P. Wetherby 170 John C. Spooner 170 Thomas Porter 171 Herman L. Humphrey 171 Theodore Cogswell 172 Frank P. Catlin 172 Charles Y. Denniston 173 A. E. Jefferson 173 Samuel C. Symonds 173 John E. Glover 173 Lemuel North 173 Edgar Nye 173 William T. Price 173 E. B. Bundy 174
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